A good tool to quickly note down musical ideas?

Discussion in 'Software' started by waverider, Jul 26, 2019.

  1. NeverenoghFun

    NeverenoghFun Platinum Record

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    @NeverenoghFun
    Yeah you are right, technically it is much better to be able to write down notes - thing is, I am not good enough at that to be 100% certain that what I write down is actually what I heard. So I'd rather just play it until I get it right.
    You do beatboxing? That is so cool, I wanted to do that too a long time ago, but never really got into it. You are right about the Scratchpads of Studio One, thing is that software takes ages to start up on my machine. I hope they improve the startup time at some point, and that they also implement improvements to the scratchpads (would be cool if you could extend the scratchpads over the entire horizontal length). So you're into Rap music? I figure you're probably gonna have to write down words and sentences much more so than music, so you can probably do quite will with a pencil and a piece of paper I suppose :p[/QUOTE]
    I wouldn't say I do it well lmao .
    Just enough for me to remember what was going on in my head.
    gonna get some looks.. but what ever.
     
  2. pizzafresser

    pizzafresser Producer

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    FL Studio's piano roll is pretty quick. Even if you don't use it as a DAW you could just export a raw .mid file.
     
  3. Mynock

    Mynock Audiosexual

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    Yeah, that Apple F#ckers...
    Does Logic Platinum v5.5.1 come with anything closer to a score editor or just piano roll?
     
  4. Ad Heesive

    Ad Heesive Audiosexual

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    So, now that I've had time to explore the Patchwork-Melda solution, I couldn't resist trying to make that facility even simpler.
    Given that you've sacrificed midi recording and are only recording audio, how about this (free) approach...

    http://www.hermannseib.com/english/savihost.htm
    - This is as single file < 1MB
    - No installation required.
    - Just pick any favourite VST instrument .dll from your VSTi collection
    - Copy the VST .dll and the savihost executable into any folder anywhere, even a USB drive.
    - Rename the savihost executable to be the same name as the VST .dll
    You now have a stand-alone version of your VST instrument and it includes a record wav button.

    You can make as many of these as you like, one for each instrument that you like to work with.
    :)

    ===

    Update:
    Just checked out your Pianoteq STAGE recommendation. - It's fabulous :like:
     
    Last edited: Aug 1, 2019
  5. Ad Heesive

    Ad Heesive Audiosexual

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    Yes, for midi editing it includes a piano roll (matrix editor), a score editor, and an events list editor.
     
  6. n0xin

    n0xin Rock Star

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    sry if someone already mentioned it; Guitar Pro (preferable version 5.2 without RSE)
     
  7. Mynock

    Mynock Audiosexual

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    Good to know dude! The only thing I really dislike about Reaper these days is the Notation Editor. I know they chose to do something that any user could use (no musical knowledge, just drag and/or drop), but I find very unpleasant to write something more sophisticated in that shitty score editor.

    Thanks pal! :hifive:
     
  8. [​IMG]
     
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  9. waverider

    waverider Rock Star

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    @Zenarcist, Yeah if you set up Reaper for this is can also be powerful. Just feels a bit convoluted to me for sponatneous use. But a camera or even a mic is also a great idea! I could get myself one of those cheap handy recorders.

    @fiction Thank you for caustic. Looks like the windows version is free! I'll give it a look.

    @Matt777 Thank you again for the suggestions. I had actually already seen Pianoteq Stage, but the thing is, the browsing and storing of the MIDIs feels a bit clumsy to me. From what I remember there are a lot of clicks neccessary in order to get it to do certain things. I wish they would improve the MIDI recorder functionality a bit more. Also, using a sample organiser is a great idea. I have yet to use any of those in my workflow, as they seemed quite intimidating to me. Will take a closer look. Thanks!

    Edit: WTF I didn't see like half of your posts before I replied... Will have to read a bit longer, will get back to you

    @Ad Heesive Thank you for the vst host thing! I tried those in the past but could never quite understand their workflow. If they have a wav record function that would be super great! Will check it out. Thanks!
     
  10. Zenarcist

    Zenarcist Audiosexual

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    It may seem convoluted, but Reaper opens in seconds with a SSD drive.

    The major benefit is that step 2 is all about developing your idea, so everything is already in the DAW. Having regions mapped out in the template helps you to quickly sketch out the different sections, i.e. verse, pre-chorus, chorus, etc., and I usually have a piano VST loaded to tap in a melody.

    For me this is the optimum way of doing things, with no need to transfer files between apps. In fact, Reaper is up and running, and ready to go before I even have time to strap on my guitar or turn on the synth!

    If you are talking about grabbing a quick idea while you are on the move, then a phone is the perfect solution for this, as when I'm out I usually only have my voice with me :wink:
     
    Last edited: Aug 3, 2019
  11. Zenarcist

    Zenarcist Audiosexual

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    Try this if you want to open a template quickly:

    [​IMG]


    For my setup I have two Reaper shortcuts on my taskbar. One is for creating a new project, and the other is the standard option for opening the current project. The first option saves time if you want to start a new project, open a different project, or use a specific template.
     
    Last edited: Aug 3, 2019
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